I used to think poorly of fly fishing competition myself but after doing a bit more research on it and looking at it from a different angle, I came to realize that there is nothing wrong with it, at least in my opinion.
We are all competitive on the water, that is why we tell stories about the big one that did or didn't get away. Or why we try and embellish our best moments on the water and so on.
Youth competition in any sport gives them opportunity to socialize with other fishers whom they would never meet. It gives them a chance to learn techniques they might never learn and it exposes them to people who may help them down the road. Networking is a powerful tool in any walk of life.
In some cases the youngsters will be exposed to different cultures, learn more about their world and be the better for it.
More importantly I think, it will help to socialize them. They will be working with both adults and other youth who will set examples of how we treat each other and the environment, some of them will be todays leaders, some will be tomorrows leaders.
Competition is already in our sport, best rod, best reel, best vise, best fly. So getting out there and finding that competition can be healthy and not lacking in respect is in my opinion a pretty important thing.
If your son or daughter has ever expressed a desire to work in the outdoors these Fly Fishing competitions can be a gateway to a great future.
What I have seen, by the way, has nothing to do with a Bass Masters style of event at all in case you were thinking that.

__________________
Each smallest act of kindness - even just words of hope when they are needed, the remembrance of a birthday, a compliment that engenders a smile - reverberates across great distances and spans of time, affecting lives unknown to the one whose generous spirit was the source of this good echo, because kindness is passed on and grows each time it's passed, until a simple courtesy becomes an act of selfless courage years later and far away.